The residential and commercial construction industry has increasingly used wood composite materials in place of traditional wood building products. Such wood composite materials are typically comprised of recycled plastics (such as polyethylene) and recycled wood products and are formed by extrusion or other techniques into wood composite boards, panels, and decorative pieces. Wood composite building materials offer several advantages, including resistance to moisture and insects so reducing the rotting, cracking, warping and splintering characteristic of wood products.
Wood composite products have been applied to form the floor boards and other elements of decks, floors, steps, walkways, bridges, and other architectural and landscaping features where wood has ordinarily been used. Many wood composite products used in construction have a hollow or non-solid core. Cutting a wood composite board, for example, may expose the non-solid interior, including internal structural features intended to provide strength. Wood composite materials that have been cut in construction can chip at the edges, and the edges may be sharp. Exposing the interior core design of composite materials may also be considered unattractive.